Presidential report card

John Zogby issues a weekly report card grade for President Obama in US News & World Report. I haven't paid much attention but it seems like he gives out Cs and a few Bs and maybe an occasional D. Looks like a C-average president - more or less. That magazine is pretty conservative so I guess that isn't too bad.

I don't know how other presidents were graded if he did....but you need something to compare his grades to. Here is my tentative list....it might change over time but this is it right now....
Note: My biases are obvious and I don't grade on a curve.

Obama --- (C) -- Still serving - Widely hated because he is black and people think he is Muslim (!). Right wingers are unhinged that he won the election and can't get over it. Pro-Obama voter expectations ran too high, he tried to do too much right away then not enough, not bold enough when he had the chance, he finally passed health care reform, struggled with the worst economy since the depression...thanks to GW.

GW Bush --- (F) -- A failed presidency and a general disaster, failed at the Afghan war when it could have been won, started the Iraq war as a fraud, destroyed the US and then world economy and the federal budget. He went through a huge budget surplus with nothing to show for it. He seemed not to take the job seriously. Slow response on September 11th terror attacks. Was willing to let others do his decision making. His Vice Prez Cheney should be in prison along with some cronies.

Clinton --- (B) -- Easily distracted but the smartest president in recent decades, fixed the economy and left a huge budget surplus, not bold enough to make major changes (tried on health care but failed), should have intervened against Serbia much sooner. Was impeached on political grounds. Things went almost too good and that made the subsequent failures look really bad.

GHW Bush --- (C) -- Defended Kuwait when invaded by Iraq, he was reasonable, economy went bad and he couldn't fix it. Supported and signed the NAFTA treaty. First president after the Cold War and mis-judged what that meant...the New World Order was not what he thought.

Reagan --- (D) -- Will be counted as a mediocre president. Needed to be impeached over Iran/Contra scandal but Dems were too meek. He used a fraudulent invasion of Grenada to gain votes and was always involved in Nicaragua and El Salvador civil wars. He was old and senile, slept through cabinet meetings. He destroyed the national concept of "the public good" as a governmental role and responsibility, he spent the government into record deficits. USSR collapsed from it's own weight and economic failures but he gets unwarranted credit. Perhaps manipulated the hostage crisis to help win the election in 1980...but would have won anyway, probably. A Crackpot did shot him but he lived.

Carter --- (C) -- Not very memorable as a president but had good potential. Not a foreign policy guy - supporting human rights was his only policy. Made some bad decisions and failed to accurately measure rising tide of Islamist power. Shah of Iran's ouster and the hostage crisis did not have to be the mess that he made of it. Economy floundered. Certainly more effective as a former president.

Ford --- (C) -- Brought stability after Nixon's resignation. Served less than a whole term and was not elected but appointed. Considering the mess, he did OK. He also pardoned Nixon which was not popular. A Crackpot tried to shot him.

Nixon --- (D-) -- Opened the door to China. Some domestic policies were not too bad. Escalated the Viet Nam war and invaded Cambodia. Eventually ended our role in the war by negotiation. He actually was a crook. Resigned in disgrace due to Watergate break-in and cover-up. Paranoid and had an 'enemies list' but as time went on he really did make enemies. Power hungry and did not believe he was restricted by the constitution....president could not break the law as he saw it. Probably could have done some jail time if not pardoned.

Johnson --- (B-) -- Took over after JFK assassination and continued Kennedy's policies for a while. Escalated the war in Viet Nam - this was his undoing. Enacted many long-lasting social programs as the War on Poverty. Crude and hard to get along with but effective.

Kennedy --- (C+) -- Popular but lasted only 3 years before assassination. First Catholic president. Started the Peace Corps and served as an inspiration for a generation of young Americans. Bay of Pigs invasion was dreamt up under Eisenhower but JFK went along with it....a bad idea. Did not reach out to Cuba when he could have. The Cuban missile crisis was the closest we have gotten to a nuclear war. Began US involvement in Viet Nam on a small scale that grew out of control under LBJ. Relied very heavily on his family (brothers, etc.)as advisers.

Eisenhower --- (C+) -- Peace and prosperity - post-war hero president. Initiated some major infrastructure projects - highways, etc. Civil Rights problems began and he supported desegregation and racial civil rights. Probably didn't understand Cuba or Castro.

Truman --- (C+) -- Presided over the end of WWII and most of the Korean War. Took over when FDR died but was ill prepared - grew into the job. Took on Gen. MacArthur over Korea war plans and fired him. Had to get the US economy back on track and rebuild Europe and Japan after the war. Decided to drop the A-bombs on Japan that ended the war - still controversial but it ended the war. Supported the UN.

Roosevelt --- (B+) -- FDR was elected 4 times and brought the country out of the great depression and through most of WWII. Initiated Social Security and a wide range of programs to help recovery after the depression. Pretty much saved UK with lend lease and convoys during the war before we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Began Manhattan Project to build the A-bomb. Was wheel-chair bound due to polio. Still popular.

End of Summer....already

It is mid September already. I was thinking that it seems like it should be more like March or April....the year has gone by so fast.

This has been a very busy summer. My house was up for sale until the end of June but nothing happened so I decided to take it off the market after eight months. I had plenty of lookers but no buyers. One problem is that a neighbor a few houses away died and his grown kids decided to unload his house for $40,000 less than it was worth which then pulls down the comparisons for other houses in the area. I can wait.

We went to Italy in June for about ten days for Oksana's wedding. That was a great trip. We spent time in Milan, Bra in Piedmont (for the wedding), Perugia and Venice. The wedding was wonderful and we had a good time and met some very nice people who are now our friends. Jill was Oksana's Maid of Honor. We didn't care too much for Milan but maybe it needs another visit and some prep work on our part. We were very tired when we were there and the hotel was not very good. Perugia was much the same as last time but the people and students seem to be going through a 'grunge' phase. Perugia is sort of like a 2nd home because we feel very comfortable there. I had never been to Venice and it was good that we had a couple days to wander around. I would not have liked it if we had only a few hours and only saw the tourist areas.

In August I went to Albuquerque and Jill and Jeanne joined me there after a couple days to help celebrate my birthday. I got some business out of the way before they came so we had several days to just roam around. We went to a Roller Derby match - something new for each of us. I went to the Fiesta de San Lorenzo in Bernalillo which was very interesting and we went to a couple wineries.

Jill's house won the "Golden Hammer" award for September so we spent a couple weeks making it look good for visitors inside and out and painting a room to serve as her office/den.

So the summer was full of stuff and went by quickly. The weather was extremely wet and we finally ended up getting the tail end of a topical storm. It is cooler now and should be in the mid-50s tonight.

I'm listening to a Cardinals game. They started off pretty good but have fallen apart the last month or so. I think they are just exhausted. They are winning this game - so far.

Making a batch of home brew on Sunday at Jill's house. Probably get it bottled around mid to late October. Sheryl and Donna will get some for their Christmas parties.